Bench scoring gives W&M a chance in shootouts

William and Mary head mustache Tony Shaver is justifiably concerned about the Tribe’s ability to defend, in order to contend for a conference title.

W&M opponents shoot 46.4 percent from the field, dead last in the CAA and 290th out of 345 Division I programs.

Shaver is comforted, to a small degree, by the Tribe’s offense, and more specifically, by the depth of contributions.

“When we get our whole team together, we have some firepower,” Shaver said after Wednesday’s 85-73 win against Drexel. “In my career here, we’ve not brought guys like Omar Prewitt, Sean Sheldon and right now, Brandon Britt, off the bench. And we can go below that. Daniel Dixon’s a young player that we really like. It’s just hard to get him on the floor right now.”

W&M (9-5, 1-0 CAA) got 34 points off the bench versus the Dragons — 15 apiece from Britt and Prewitt, and four from Sheldon. They complemented primary scorers Marcus Thornton and Kyle Gaillard and compensated for a sub-standard performance from normal double-figure scorer Tim Rusthoven, limited by effects from the flu and a foot injury.

The Tribe’s bench production and scoring balance are markedly better than last season. A year ago, 88 percent of W&M’s scoring came from the starting five — almost 61 of 68.8 points per game. Through 14 games this season, approximately 70 percent of scoring comes from the starters. The Tribe averages 74 points per game, and the bench produces almost 22 points per game.

The primary factors in point distribution are Prewitt, and Britt’s early-season suspension. Prewitt, the 6-6 freshman from Kentucky, averages 14.1 points per game and has delivered beyond most reasonable expectations. He’s a superior and fearless shooter making 40 percent from 3-point range and has a nice feel for the game.

Britt missed the first nine games after his suspension due to a preseason arrest for DUI. Though he’s a three-year starter and 1,000-point career scorer, Shaver chose to bring him off the bench as he re-acclimates to game conditions. His scoring is down a bit from last year so far — 13.9 ppg to 7.8 ppg — but there’s no reason to think he won’t be a double-figure scorer as the season unfolds.

Britt has been a bit off-kilter offensively, and Wednesday was his first double-figure scoring game and the most comfortable he’s looked since he returned. He hit 4 of 6 shots, both of his 3-point attempts, and handed out a team-high four assists.

“It felt good to play well, finally,” Britt said. “I’ve just been being patient, with everything I’ve been through, just staying in the gym. It definitely felt good to play well, especially with the start of conference play. Hopefully, I can keep it up. I’ve got 15 more games in my career, so hopefully, I can play like that the rest of the time.”

Shaver also has the luxury of bringing Britt off the bench because of Julian Boatner’s jump. The senior was pressed into starting after Britt’s suspension and has played smart and well. Last year, he averaged just 2.9 points per game and was often tentative and ineffective. This season, he averages 6.9 points, shoots 43.5 percent from 3-point range and, most important, has a nearly 3-to-1 assist-turnover ratio. He already has nearly twice as many assists (31) than all of last season (16).

As Shaver put it: “He’s earned the right to be on the floor.”

Next up for the Tribe is Wednesday at Delaware, also picked among the upper half of the CAA and the league’s highest-scoring team at 81.4 points per game. William and Mary will try to slow down the Blue Hens, who have five players averaging in double figures.

Shaver might not prefer a shootout, but Delaware allows 78.9 points per game, and at least he knows he has the personnel to keep up if the Tribe finds itself in a scoring duel.